Pneumatic railway signaling system and electropneumatic valve therefor.



PATENTED MAY 2, 1905. E. 0. IRVING.

VALVE THEREFOR.

APPLICATION .EILIJD MAB. 14,1903.

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NITED STATES ERNEST COPELAND IRVING, OF

OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN PATRICK ODONNELL, OF

ENGLAND.

Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WESTMINSTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR WESTMINSTER,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 788,536, dated May 2,1905.

Application filed March 14, 1903. Serial No. 147.856.

T0 to LUh/O'I'I b it may concern:

Be it known that I, EnNns'r COPELAND Inv- ING, residing at PalaceChambers, lVestmms- 'ter, in the county of Middlesex, England,

(whose post-oflice address-is Palace Chambers, Westminster, in thecounty of Middlesex, England,) have invented certain new andusefullmprovements in Pneumatic Railway Signaling Systems andEloctropneumatic Valves Therefor; and I do hereby declare the followingto'be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention consists principally in an improved electropneumatic orelectromagnetic valve for use in pneumatic railway signaling apparatuswhereby said apparatus is simplified and the liability to derangementsminimized. In my invention when the elec' tromagnet for actuating thevalve is deenergized the fluid-pressure is allowed to pass through thevalve, and, on the other hand, when the magnet is energized the passageof fluid-pressure is cut off, so that interruption or failure of theelectric current will cause the admission of air to a locking-cylinderor to operate other devices for locking conflicting levers in theinterlocking apparatus. The application of this valve to pneumaticrailway signaling systems and the like will be readily understood byreference to the prior British specification of Letters Patent NO.5,511, of 1902, and to the specification and drawings accompanying myapplication for Letters Patent of the United States for Improvements inrailway signaling filed concurrently with this application.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of myimproved electropneumatic valve. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the valve-boxpart 2, hereinafter referred to. Fig. 3 is a plan view of theintermediate part 3 of the valve-box hereinafter referred to.

In carrying out my invention 1 provide on the top of the magnet 1 ormagnet-casing 1 a valve box or casing, preferably consisting of threemain parts 2, 3, and t. The part 4 I has two pipe connections 5 and 6.Air or other fluid pressure enters at 5, and 6 is the outlet throughwhich the fluid-pressure passes to the locking-cylinder or otherapparatus to be operated by compressed air when the valve-magnet 1 isdeenergized. For this purpose the valve-casing has a port or passage 7,which connects with the supply-inlet 5 and leads to the upper chamber 8.The central chamber 9 has a port or passage 10, which communicates in asimilar manner with the outlet 6. The intermediate part 3 of the valvebox or casing is provided with a valve-seat on top, on which works aconical valve 11, and also with exhaust-ports 12, controlled by saidvalve 11 and leading to the atmosphere through ports 12. There is acentral projection 1 k in this intermediate part, forming a guide f orthe valve stem or rod 15. An upper conical valve 16 works on a seat inthe upper portion 2 of the valve-box, said valve controlling the passageof fluid-pressure through the port 16. The valves are actuated throughan armature stem or rod 17, extending through the electromagnet, andalso guided at the top end by a bush or sleeve 18 in the lower part t ofthe valve-casing.

The upper portion 2 of the valve-casing is provided with preferablythree lugs or projections 19, 19, and 19 which correspond with similarlugs 20, 20, and 20" on the intermediate portion 3 of the valve casing.These lugs register with dowel-pins 21, lixed in the lower portion 1 ofthe valve-casing, and are so arranged as to insure the parts of thevalve-casing being always fitted together in their proper position, sothat the ports or passages 7 and 10 register correctly. If it is desiredto use only two lugs or projections, this may be done by omitting eitherof lugs 19 or 19 on the part 2 of the val ve-casing and correspondinglyeither of the lugs 20 20 on the part 3 of said casing. The lower portion4: of the valve-casing is secured to a cap or cover 22 by means ofscrews 23 or otherwise. This cap is screwed internally, so as to receivethe magnet-casing 1. The three parts 2, 3, and 4: and the cover 24i areheld together by means the drawings) of a well-known construction insuch a manner as to be easily detachable.

' Thearmature 25 is loosely placed in a box or cap 26, screwed on thelower end of the magnet-casing 1, and normally-that is to say, when anelectric current passes through the magnet 1, energizing itthe armature25 is attracted, carrying with it the stem or rod 17, and therebypushing the valve 16 up against its seat, shutting off the mainair-supply from the cylinder or other apparatus to be operated on. Thelower valve 11 is held ina raised position from its seat, thus allowingair to exhaust through ports 12. Upon the magnet 1 becoming deenergizedthe armature will drop, the valve 11 will close the exhaust-ports 12,and the valve 16 will open port 16 allowing the fluid-pressure from themain supply to pass through the port 7, chamber 8, port 16, and port 10to the cylinder or other apparatus to be operated upon. I/Vhen themagnet l is again energized, the valves 11 and 16 are returned to theposition shown in Fig. 1, thus again cutting off the compressed air fromthe main supply and opening the cylinder or other apparatus to exhaustthrough 6, 10, 9, and 12.

It will be observed that no spring is employed in connection with thevalves.

WVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In an electropneumatic valve, the combination of a valve-casinghaving inlet, outlet and exhaust ports, and passages connecting saidinlet and outlet ports, and said outlet and exhaust ports, respectively;a valve adapted in one position to close said connection between theinlet and outlet ports and to open said outlet-port to exhaust, and inanother position to close said connection between said outlet andexhaust ports and to open the connection between said inlet and outletports; an electromagnet; an armature for said magnet adapted to fallbygravity therefrom when said magnet is denergized and to approach saidmagnet when it is energized; and a con- I I l said armature and saidvalve, whereby said valve is caused to assume the position firstdescribed when said armature approaches said magnet, and the second described position when said armature falls away from said magnet,substantially as shown and described.

2. In an electropneumatic valve, the combination of a valve-casinghaving inlet, outlet and exhaust ports, and passages connecting saidinlet and outlets ports, and said outlet and exhaust ports,respectively; a valve adapted in one position to close said connectionbetween the inlet and outlet ports and to open said outlet-port toexhaust, and in another position to open said connection between saidinlet and outlet ports and to close the connection between said outletand exhaust ports; an electromagnet; an armature for said mag netadapted to fall by gravity therefrom when said magnet is deenergized andto approach said magnet when it is energized; a stern for said valve,attached to said armature whereby said valve is caused to assume theposition first described when said armature approaches said magnet, andthe second described position when said armature falls away from saidmagnet, substantially as shown and described.

3. An electromagnetic valve having inlet, outlet and exhaust ports,passages connecting said inlet and outlet ports, and said outlet andexhaust ports, and seats in said passages for valves to close saidconnection between said inlet and outlet ports. and said outlet andexhaust ports, respectively, said valve being comprised of severalseparate, coordinating parts having corresponding lugs adapted toregister when said parts are in proper relation, and to be connectedthereby by locking means, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature i n presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST COPELAND IRVING.

l/Vitnesses:

W. H. Nrxsou, IVALLER E. ROCHE.

